A Little Bird Called Rue
by District9and3-4
Summary: This is the story of Rue, the tiny District 11 girl who made it farther than anyone thought she would.
1. Chapter 1

"Rue Caller" The name echoes through the square. The name plucked from the big glass bowl, like it was random. A calling of a name like it was a prize. But it isn't. This is a death sentence.

"Rue Caller? Please come up to the stage!" The irritating woman's (Dahlia, I think her name is) shrill voice rides on the wind and into my ears. My death sentence. My friends, step to the side as if I have a contagious disease, like the plague that swept through a few years ago. I step slowly up to the stage, as if going slowly would make it not happen. But it still does.

"Well congratulations sweetie!" Dahlia's high-pitched voice burned my eardrums. "Let's have a round of applause for our female District 11 tribute!" The people applaud, but no one is enthusiastic. I look to the back of the crowd and see Iris, Bryony, Aster, and Zinnia clinging to Mum and Pa, sobbing. Pansy, little Pansy, is in Mum's arms looking confused, because she is to young to understand the terrible thing that took place. A single tear slips down my cheek, how am I going to leave them behind? The tear splatters down on the rotten wood platform, adding a small spot on the stains of blood from the many whippings.

I am so lost in thought; I almost miss the boy's name being called. "Thresh Thorn" I don't recognize the name. A tall man steps out of the 18 year old section, mounting the stage. He is built like an ox, and is over 6 feet tall. I'm not even 5 feet yet! Dahlia congratulates him but he ignores her.

"Shake hands, tributes!" Thresh turns to me, his golden brown eyes softening as he leans down to shake my hand. He gives me a smile, which softens his rock hard features. Peacekeepers soon break our hands apart. They roughly escort us into the room where we will say our last goodbyes.


	2. Chapter 2

I am shoved into a room in the district building. I'm not sure if this can be called a room though. It's bigger than my house! I think of the little shack that crams the 8 of us in one room, either sharing the one mattress or sleeping on the floor. Recently we even used some leftover burlap from grain sacks to cover the floor. It almost seemed nice for a while. I then get a big lump in my throat. I'll never see my house again!

I cautiously sit on the couch, afraid to get my dirty dress on it. They might whip me again if I left so much as a speck on it. I run my hand over the lumpy scars on my back. Almost everyone in the district has them, some more than others. I got only 20 lashes luckily. During the plague, times were hard because nobody was allowed in the field. I was hungry, just so hungry…

_-Flashback-_

_I'm 9 again, small even then. No food is to be found. I'm wandering the streets, looking for anything, a seed, or a stale crust of bread. Anything. A truck starts rumbling down the road before me. A man leans out, yelling mean spiteful things. Mum would've washed my mouth clean if I had said any of that. Well, she would if we had any soap. I trundle off the road a he drives by. Then I see that this isn't an ordinary truck. It has food! Without thinking, I'm jumping on it, clinging to the back. Grabbing as much food as I can, corn, peas, anything I can grab. Then I'm running home, with food to fill those hungry faces that wait. I hear people yelling but I ignore them. I have food. _

_When I run in, Mum's eyes light up as I pour the food on the table. But then she hears the shouting._

"_Oh no, baby girl, you didn't!"_

"_Hide it quick!" She doesn't hesitate any longer, just hiding them, in the shoes, under loose floorboards, anywhere. I help to scrambling. But the Peacekeepers burst in, when there is still one lettuce head sitting on the table. _

"_Thief!" One screams, and all of a sudden I'm being dragged away by big strong arms that I have no chance of escaping. I'm screaming, for Mum, for anyone to help me. I am taken to the whipping grounds, and tied to a post._

_The whip strikes my back as the whole district watches from their televisions; tears are streaming down my face. When the whip hits for the 5__th__ time I black out._

_-End of Flashback-_

My fingers trace over the scars that still remain. I have this strange feeling inside me that my reaping was directly connected to that incident. Everybody knows that the reaping is rigged. So apparently I will die for stealing in the end.

My family bursting through the door like a flood interrupts my thoughts. I am buried under a sea of hugs, tears and kisses. Finally everyone calms down and I can see people. We sit in a circle on the couch and I compose myself. I decide to be blunt.

"So I am going to die." Iris and Bryony, the twins, burst into tears as I say that. Pa puts his arm around my shoulder but I shrug it off. I need to be strong in my final moments. I turn to Aster, who is 11, the oldest.

"Aster, you have to take care of the others." She nods, the tear streaks on her face glowing on her dark skin. I hate the next part, but I say it anyway.

"You might have to take tesserae." She has been silent to this point but she speaks.

"I know… but Rue you have to at least try to win! Don't give up!" Iris and Bryony are agreeing.

"Sweetie," it's Mum speaking now. "Don't ever give up on yourself, you have gone through more than everyone else there." Here eyes drift to my back, and I know she's thinking of that fateful day.

"You can do it Rue." Pa is always a man of few words, but yet I know that I could never win.

"Rue, wear this in the arena." Aster hands me her wooden flower necklace. It was her birthday present; her favorite thing she owns.

"Ast-"

"No Rue, take it!" She closes my hand around it, clutching it so tight, I know the pattern will be imprinted in my hand. The peacekeepers come in, and tear them away. I'm sobbing and shouting my goodbyes as Aster's hand is wrenched from mine. Then the door is slammed shut and I am left alone.

Completely and utterly alone.


	3. Chapter 3

Thresh and I are escorted under armed guard to the train station. Almost as if they were scared that we were going to die. And what a terrible thing that would be! It is dead silence on the platform; all I can hear is my own labored breathing. No one cheers, or boos or anything at all. Just silence. Like a funeral.

But I am unaware of anything else the moment I step on the train. My bare toes grasp the carpet, which is the softest thing I have ever felt. There is a couch bigger than my family's bed. Next to it is a long shiny table, which is the color of the russet apples I pick in the spring. My jaw drops. I bend down and stroke the carpet.

"Sorry about the smallness, we had to fit on this silly little train. They said they couldn't even add a second-"

"Do we have this entire room to ourselves?" I interrupt

"Speak up, silly girl!" Dahlia snaps. "You will never be able to win sponsors that way."

"Do we have this entire room to ourselves?" I practically shout.

"My gosh, no need to shout!" Dahlia scoffs. "Of course! This is so small there is hardly any room. And your bedrooms our petite!" She sniffs, "It is such miserable accommodations, however we will have to put up with it until we get to the Capitol…" I tune her out as Thresh and I wander the room. I sit gingerly on the couch, it sinks beneath my weight and I lie on it; I swear I could fall asleep right here!

"Well come on then!" Dahlia shrills, "Dinner is ready!" She continues to babble as we enter another room. There is a feast laid out on the table. A roast pig, meats, fruits I can't even name, vegetables with exotic sauces, and endless rows of desserts. It goes on and on.

"How many people are eating with us?" I ask.

"Oh, just us three, and your mentors which you will meet later. No need to worry, there will be plenty for you to eat your fill."

This isn't the normal amount of food for 3 people? Than what is? How is it that the Capitol gorges them self's like this every night when I am giving my rations of a handful of beans to my younger siblings? I scour the fields every night, looking for a plant that might be edible. I count myself lucky when I find a clump of dandelions, and then split it for 8 people to eat. I know exactly how many ribs I have, 24. These so-called people get gourmet food at the push of a button, and probably don't even know how to hold a shovel.

But I'm going to eat all of it anyway. I load my plate with vegetables and pork. I recognize the vegetables as carrots, broccoli, beans, and so many more. My plate towers as a walk precariously to my seat. I then proceed to gorge myself. Hey, if you're gonna die, you might as well live a little! I'm halfway through my plate when I start to feel a little green. I see that Thresh is too. I push away my plate, and discover this dessert Dahlia calls pudding. It's thick and creamy and "chocolate" flavored. I don't know what that is but it tastes good.

I'm licking my spoon when 2 people enter. I recognize them a Seeder and Chaff, the District 11 mentors. Chaff is obviously drunk, and collapses on the couch, unconscious.

"My gosh!" scoffs Dahlia and she exits the compartment, trying to stay as far away from Chaff as possible. So much for her being useful.

Seeder grimaces apologetically. "Sorry you had to see that," she acknowledges Chaff. "He's… well, pretty much always like that. So I'm pretty much your only help." I look over Seeder; she looks like she is in her 60's, with olive skin and black hair with some streaks of silver. At least she looks human. Some of the more popular victors have been so surgically altered they look like aliens.

Seeder helps herself to the food, and we all are silent. She sits down and stares at Thresh and I.

"Sullen, quiet but strong." Interview angles; that works for Thresh, as a matter of fact I've never heard him speak once

Seeder turns to me. "Hmm… sweet and humble." Really? Really? I'm about to protest, but Seeder is the expert here. If she thinks that will get me sponsors, it will. So I nod.

"Thresh, you're big and strong. Use that to scare off other tributes." Seeder turns to me, and I see pity in her eyes. "I'm sorry dear, I will help you as much as I can, but your chances of surviving are very low."

At this, Thresh slams the table with his fist.

"No!" He shouts. "This little girl is going to win! You are going to help Rue and ignore me! I have nothing left to live for, but Rue has her whole life ahead of her! She is going to win!"

Thresh storms off and slams the door. I just stare at it.

**A/N: Thanks everyone for reading my story! This is my first fan fiction, so I'm extremely excited about it. **

**How did you like Thresh's little outburst? Feel free to post ideas for where I should go next in the story!**

**Please R/R!**


	4. Chapter 4

When Thresh stormed out we just sat there in silence. I stood up and left the same way Thresh left. Hopefully my room will be in that direction. I find an assistant arranging some flowers in a vase. I recognize her as the woman who cleared our plates earlier.

"Excuse me?" She turns towards me, her black hair flipping over her shoulder. "Ummm… where is my room?" She starts to walk in one direction. "Oh no, you can just tell me the room number." She shakes her head. "Why not?" Then she opens her mouth.

There is no tongue there. There is a long scar among the back of her jaw. But the tongue is gone. I immediately know that it is the Capitol that has done this.

"I'm so sorry," I whisper. She shakes her head and pulls out a small black spiral notebook and a stick of graphite. In large neat letters she starts to write. I catch her hand; she glances up at me, surprised.

"I… I can't read." I finally manage to say. Then tears are flowing down my face. She pulls me into a hug. We walk to my room and we both sit down on the huge bed.

What an odd pair we are. I can speak, but cannot read. She can read, but cannot speak. I am being sent to my death. She is practically the living dead. She mimes writing and points to me and then to her.

"You'll teach me?" I can barely believe it when she nods. She then writes out 3 squiggly lines on the paper. Then she points to me. "Is that my name?" She nods and hands it to me. I admire the tall first letter, the curved line in the middle, and the swirly last letter, R. U. E. _Rue._

"Can you write my family's names? Aster, Iris, Bryony, Zinnia, Pansy, Mum, and Pa?"

Their names look all so elegant. She begins to teach me more words, by drawing pictures and then writing the word. I am grasping on to every single word, not wanting to forget any of it. But it is getting late and she starts to leave. I grab her arm.

"Wait! What is your name?" She draws one last picture. A flower.

Rose.

**Sorry this one is so short, I wanted to get this in before Monday.**

**Please R/R!**


	5. Chapter 5

I wake up collapsed in my bed, clutching the notebook to my chest. Words! Wonderful, wonderful words! I trace my finger along the back of my hand tracing my name. I will never forget those 3 letters, those 3 squiggly lines on the page.

I sit up and walk over to the closet; I haven't looked in there yet. I look down at myself and realized I slept in my clothes.

I cautiously pull the door open and it slides open smoothly. I stare shocked at the lines of clothing. I have never been much of a girly-girl, but even I am impressed at the lines of gorgeous streamlined clothing. I end up pulling a blue and white striped blouse and blue jeans.

I wash my face in this thing called a sink. Last night, I turned the handle and water burst out. I had jumped back with a yelp. But I think I've got the hang of it now. One handle gives warm water, one gives cold. I love the warm water. Back home, we never had warm water. We never even had enough wood for a fire.

I walk to the dining room, hoping that maybe breakfast won't be as bad as last night. Chaff is slumped in one of the chairs, looking hung-over, but sober. His left hand starts to inch toward a bottle of wine on the table but Seeder, who is sitting next to him, slaps his hand away.

"No!" She snaps. "You need to be sober so that we can help them! And the little one is going to need all the help she can get!" She quickly shuts up when she sees me standing in the doorway.

"Oh, hello Rue! Help yourself!" Seeder obviously is feeling awkward about her comment, so I don't say anything. But the words sting like a slap.

Their true, I know. The 12 year olds never make it far. Never. My best shot will be to act cute and innocent, which might win me some sponsors. Then stay out of the way. Maybe I'll get to the final 8. Maybe not, I may die in the bloodbath. But I have to make it home, for my family. I have that.

I load my plate with sausages and eggs. I need to put on some weight for the arena, and I need all that I can get. I sit down and start to eat. The only sound is my fork hitting the plate.

"So, how do you like your room?" Seeder says, clearly trying to break the silence.

"Good. I met an avox." I pause. "She's teaching me how to read."

Seeder stares at me, her eyes so fixed on me that she doesn't notice Chaff slip the bottle of red wine into his lap. The door opens behind her and Thresh silently enters. "That's good. I never learned, and I regret it." Seeder says.

I'm surprised, she's a victor; she could probably hire her own tutor.

"You know, she might be able to teach you as well."

Seeder's eyes tear up. "Thanks for the offer sweetie, but I'm much to old a dog to be learning new tricks." She sniffs, attempting to regain her composure. "But this avox, what is her name?"

"Rose." And that is when I hear the glass shatter.

I spin around to see Thresh at the buffet, a drinking glass shattered on the floor like fallen crystals. "Rose…" he says dazedly. Suddenly, his eyes narrow. He lunges forwards and grabs my shoulders. "Is she from District 11?"

I am shocked by his intensity. "Is she from District 11?" He bellows.

"I think so!" I manage to squeak out. Now Thresh is running through the trains opening compartments, screaming over and over again, "ROSE!"

Seeder stands up and chases after him and I have no choice but to follow. Thresh has left a wave of destruction behind him. He's gone insane!

Then the crashes stop. Seeder halts outside a doorway, through which I can hear the muffled sound of sobbing. I peer in and see Thresh hugging Rose. He is heaving with sobs. Finally he chokes out a word,

"Mum."


End file.
